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OVERVIEW

Brief Synopsis

Barrymore lampoons himself. A famous actor, given to drink, nearly destroys the show, but his leading lady (Hughes) returns to save it. Meanwhile a young girl (Baxter) tries to reform him.

Evans Garrick, an eccentric and tempermental thespian, is expelled from a picture and from Hollywood following his disappearance from a production and the discovery that he has been on a three day bender. Boris Mefoosky, Evans' manager, and Sylvia, Evans' wife, soon desert him because of his degenerated state, and vow never to return. After Mary Maxwell, a neoyphyte screen writer, sneaks into Evans' house and convinces him to play the lead in her new play, he calls the press to notify them that he will be starring in a new play, and, hoping to win back his wife, he announces that Sylvia will be cast opposite him. Mary's wealthy fiancé, Richard Lansing, provides the financial backing for the production, but Boris soon finds himself in financial straits and followed by debt collectors. In its first performance, the play gets off to a poor start until Evans saves it in the second act when he re-enters the stage drunk and turns the show into a comedy. Disenchanted with Evans' performance in her play, Mary threatens to shut down the production. When Sylvia deserts Evans once again, Mary is forced to take over her role. Richard tries to save the play by telling Mary that the play is not a lampoon of her story, but rather a mirror of a desperate actor who has lost control of himself. Deeply distressed and concerned about Evans' behavior, Mary tells Evans that she intends to reform him and bring out the great actor within him. The play fails, however, when Evans plays his part sober. Touched by her concern for his well-being, Evans tells Mary that he loves her, and after she admits that she loves him too, she breaks off her engagement to Richard. Capitalizing on Evans' new romance with Mary, Mefoosky leaks word to the press in the hope of making Sylvia jealous enough to come back and torment Evans, which he knows will improve his performance. Mefoosky's plan is successful and Sylvia returns. The play closes with Sylvia back in the lead role and Evans in top form.